They're Rioting in Africa (The Merry Minuet)
(Sheldon Harnick)
Intro:
There are days in my life when everything is dreary
I grow pessimistic, sad and world weary.
But when I'm tearful and fearfully upset
I always sing this merry little minuet:
They're rioting in Africa
They're starving in Spain
There's hurricanes in Florida
And Texas needs rain.
The whole world is festering
With unhappy souls
The French hate the Germans,
The Germans hate the Poles
Italians hate Yugoslavs
South Africans hate the Dutch
And I don't like anybody very much
But we can be grateful
And thankful and proud
That man's been endowed
With a mushroom shaped cloud
And we know for certain
That some happy day
Someone will set the spark off
And we will all be blown away
They're rioting in Africa
There's strife in Iran
What nature doesn't do to us
Will be done by our fellow man.
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We think this was done by the Kingston Trio back in the 60's.
Sad to say, much of it is still true today
Copyright Alley Music Corp. and Trio Music co., Inc.
Sung By Ellie Stone ca. 1958. RG.
Also recorded by Belafonte on At the Greek Theatre
DC